Officer Needs Assistance
by degunther
Summary: Kate's response to Castle's proposal is interrupted by an urgent radio message. A possible 6-1 scenario.


After "previously on Castle", episode 6-1 begins at the swings. Kate looks down at Castle and says, "Castle, I. Before I answer your question I have something to tell you. There are some things I need to say. There are things you need to hear. After I answer I probably won't have the nerve … "

(radio)" ALL units, officers' needs assistance, 700 block of Maple, shots fired."

Kate said," That's two blocks from here."

As Castle reaches up, asking for a hand up, Castle says "Let's go."

"Castle, shots fired. "

"I know, let's go. You don't think I am going to let you go by yourself do you? Who else has your back?" With the beginnings of a smile Kate gives him a hand up.

The sound of gunfire leads them to a bodega. Entering the store they see the owner and two patrolmen down and two others in position. Repositioning the patrolmen to cut off an escape out of the back door Kate and Rick enter. As they approach the rear doors they take fire. After scrabbling for safety, Kate yells out. "This is the NYPD, you are trapped, the back door exits onto a closed off alley which we have covered, throw out your weapons and come out with your hands up." This is greeted with more gunfire. Kate pulls out the radio and reports the situation.

After a moment Castle yells out, "there are three people dying out here. Two of them are police officers. That would be very, very bad for you, let us get them to the hospital. "

After a pause they reply "only if you give us a hostage."

As Kate starts to stand Castle firmly pulls her back down to the ground. "No, you are the officer here. When backup comes they will listen to you not me. I can go in, I'm not a threat. Perhaps I can get them to tell me their story. "

"I can't give them a hostage," said Kate.

"I can't watch them die."

Not trusting herself to speak Kate nods here acceptance. Castle reaches into his pocket and hands Kate the engagement ring. "Kate take this, no promises implied. When they search me they would find it. I don't want anyone else but you to touch it. We will still have unfinished business you and I. Keep it till then." With that done Castle yells out "OK I'm coming around". Holding his hands above his head he walks to a position between the downed patrolmen, the shopkeeper, and the swinging doors that lead to the gunman and stops. "My name is Richard Castle. I am unarmed. I'm a novelist. I'm going to stand here until the EMTs come and take these people away. OK? "The gun that was tracking Castle's movements is withdrawn. Kate advises dispatch that this has just become a hostage situation.  
As the uniformed policemen arrive Kate repositions prevent them to block the shooters escape. As the EMTs are finishing up Kate is relieved by a member of the SWAT team. On her way to the Command Post, Kate spots Ryan and Esposito. She tells them that Castle is the hostage, and Rodriguez and Johnson were the ones hit, she asks them to backtrack Rodriguez and Johnson to learn more about what caused this situation. They acknowledge their assignment and move off. As she enters the CP Kate sees a familiar face, Capt. Peterson. She describes the situation and explanations that Castle volunteered to be a hostage so that the officers and the civilian could be taken to the hospital. Capt Peterson yells at Kate about endangering a civilian. Then takes a breath and nods "You probably did the right thing. Castle must either be the bravest man alive or a complete fool."

"He's just Castle sir." Kate informs them Castle had his phone and that it is GPS equipped, and that he has given the NYPD permission to track and trace his phone for situations like this. Capt Peterson tells the technician to display the phone; reaches for the bullhorn saying will save the phone for later and heads toward the store for round 1 of the negotiations. When the phone is located on the display Kate breathes a sigh of relief.  
Checking with dispatch, Esposito and Ryan learn that Rodriguez and Johnson were responding to a silent alarm at a jewelry store two blocks up Maple. Arriving at the jewelry store they spot a pair of uniform policemen. Inside they find an elderly woman holding the hand of her dead husband and a middle age man in obvious distress over the loss of his Dad. As Esposito takes their statements Ryan reviews the security footage. The store had just got in a new consignment of mixed gemstones, and the attack occurred a couple of minutes after the son left to make a delivery to a favorite client. Ryan comes out with a copy of the security tape and says that there were four guys, and they were armed with handguns. The information is relayed to Kate and the CP. Esposito releases the uniforms to canvas the local shop owners and staffs to see if they noticed anyone suspicious and to obtain a copy of today's security tape.  
Reluctantly Kate, Ryan, and Esposito head back to the 12th to begin the process of identifying the gunmen. Captain Peterson has promised to get them up to date. The negotiations have been going on for several hours with no progress. Capt Peterson is unconcerned. He has a containment team in the bodega, snipers on the roof and a breeching team in the alley way. They have set a camera to watch the back door, but a trash container blocks line of sight. They have set off power to the store, and when night falls they will fire gas and rush the store. The night vision goggles and gas masks will be all the edge they need. Between the gas, surprise and the darkness Castle should be ok. As Captain Peterson was leaving the CP to talk the shooters, the technician exclaimed, "Hey, the phone disappeared." Hearing no response to his hail, Captain Peterson orders the breach. Clearing the trash bin, the breaching discovered an open manhole cover right outside the back door leading into a utilities tunnel. After clearing the room and reviewing the plans for the utility tunnel, Captain Peterson sent uniforms to the two next tunnel exit points, and called for CSU to sweep the room. When the uniforms reported an open manhole cover at one of the exits, he wonders what he was going to say to Detective Beckett and her Captain.  
At the precinct, the entire team was doing the tedious job of reviewing footage from the stores in the neighborhood of the jewelry store and printing out pictures of single and pairs of men whose entrances and exits made them suspects for the robbery. As they were completing the "rouges gallery" Kate was called into Captain Gate's office. She informs Detective Beckett that the shooters had disappeared down an utility tunnel, and Castel was missing. We asked if she was ok, Kate replied "No, but I have to be". Kate walks out and calls the robbery detective team that had been handling a string of small jewelry store robberies. The detectives pointed out two likely suspects, they had robbery priors. With this the team obtains, better pictures, known associates, last known locations, the usual stuff, but it takes time, and all were wondering how much time Castle had left. With the new pictures they reexamined the images from the robbery. It was clear they had found one member of the team, for one of the suspects; the ski mask could not hide the scar that was beside his left eye. With their query known, the problem became one of finding his accomplices and his lair. Surveillance teams dispatched, the writing ADA and a sympathetic Judge prepped, all the strike team can do is wait.

All eyes went to Captain Gates office when the phone rang. She said something, broke the connection and dialed an internal number. The conversation was short. She pushed away from her desk and walked into the detective's bull pen. "All three made it", she said. Locking eyes with Kate she continues, "The doctor said if we waited 5 more minutes Rodriguez and Johnson would probably have bled out." The joy in the room was muted by the knowledge that one of their own was still missing.

When the driver of the delivery van called in to say his van was missing, the dispatcher thought it was just another carjacking by kids. She replayed the units GPS transponder stream, and told their private security firm that the unit was located in a parking garage. Spotting the van, the security team asked for police backup. The van was a crime scene and they needed the police report for the insurance claim. When the security team opened the van they found an unconscious man, bound, and gagged. Officer Hastings shouldered aside the security officer, checked for a pulse and looked at the unconscious man's face. Jerry she yelled Its Castle!

After an eternity Esposito's phone rings. His face becomes alive, the eyes fierce. "Site 2" is all he says.

Kate reaches for the phone, "This is Detective Beckett, the writing ADA please, Oh,Site 2." By the time Kate can collect her jacket, her team is at the elevator, and the door is open.  
One civilian dead, two officers shot, one of their own and another civilian in the hospital, the team was not in a good mood. The arrest went off without a hitch. A search of the apartment turned up the guns, the jewelry from this afternoon, and merchandise from previous jobs. It's not often when a Homicide Team can close two cases with two different perpetrators on the same day. But the biggest prize was missing, Castle. Esposito had to physically restrain Kate from charging the leader of the group when he refused to answer the question about Castle's whereabouts.

Officer Karin O'Dell, maybe five foot tall, but a solid and shapely 120 pounds, slowly unlimbered her baton and walked toward the leader. Placing the baton on his chest, looking up, flaming red hair peeking out from under her cap, "Hotshot, let me explain something to you. The guy you snatched doesn't wear a badge or carry a gun, but he is one of us, more than that he is a friend. Mess with one of us, you mess with us all. I'm going to ask you once, nicely, to tell us where you left him. If he is hurt and dies we will presser the DA to ask for the death penalty, your call."

"We left the body in the van."

Ignoring the shrike form Kate, punctuating he word with a gentle thumb of her baton, "Where…is…the…bloody…van…!"

"In the parking garage on 7th"

"Dispatch this is 5 Thomas Mike. We have a possible twenty for Castle."

"5 Thomas Mike, be advised Castle has been found, he's live, unconscious and on his way to Mercy Hospital."

"Dispatch, 5 Thomas Mike, thanks folks here will be very pleased to hear that."

After the shooters are processed, it's late but not that late. The hospital called and informed Captain Gates that Castle had regained consciousness and was resting comfortably. Ryan and Esposito decided to head over to the hospital to check on Castle. Kate declines, sayings there are things she has to do. The worried looks on the Boys faces screams to the rafters.

Kate stares at Castle's chair for several moments. Pulls out a card and dials a number. "Detective Beckett for the Deputy Director please….Sir, I am going to decline the offer… Yes Sir I know it's a great opportunity….I don't think it's a good fit… Yes Sir I will keep you in mind." Kate hangs up and continues to stare at Castle's chair.

Minutes later Captain Gates walks over. "Detective?"

"I turned down the job."

"I know he called. You sure? He asked me to help change your mind. "

"The price was too high." Kate pulls out the ring "Its Castle's. Is this going to be a problem?"

"Normally yes. But what Castle did today made it to the Chiefs ears. Things like this are not easily forgotten. I imagine I, and the rest of the command staff, can play dumb for a long, long time. Detective Beckett when you are on the clock I expect you to behave like the leader of the best squad of Homicide Detectives in the five Boroughs. Off the clock I hope you can be the wife that Castle needs. Congratulations. I understand that Castle gets released tomorrow. I don't expect to see you here. Am I clear? " The last obstacle fallen, a smile spreads onto Kate's face. "Yes Sir" is all she can say.

It was 1:47 AM, the unhurried taping of heels on the floor startled the night nurse. Visiting hours were over hours ago and the staff all wore soft soled shoes. She moved away from station and looked down the hall. A solitary figure approached, she was medium height with long brown hair. She was wearing a badge; carrying a gun in a shoulder holster, and toting a garment bag. The nurse averted her eyes and walked back to her station before she acknowledged the shadow's presence and would be forced to confront her. When the door to room 1101 opened, she smiled and returned to the monitors. Kate tiptoed into the room. She placed the garment bag on the chair, trimmed the rose she carried and placed it in the water bottle, pulled an envelope from an inside pocket and leaned it against the water bottle holding the rose. Next she tiptoed over to bed and looked down. His sleeping face is that of a child remarked Kate. She leaned forward, kissed his forehead. Her loose hair tickles his nose. He snorts. She suppresses a laugh, captures her hair, kisses him on the check then tiptoes out. After the tapping recedes, the nurse opens the door to check on her charge, Richard Castle. He is sleeping comfortably. She smiles when she sees the rose and the envelope, closes the door, and returns to her station and starts to update the charts.

Castle awakes with an allover achy feeling, cotton mouth, a slight headache, and definitely in need of a cup of coffee. He glances at the clock 5:30. Do people get up this early? Finally Castle's eyes are drawn to the rose and the note. Fearing the worst Castle opens the note and reads:  
"Luv, Tonight I am wearing OUR ring on my right ring finger. Tomorrow morning I will take it off so that you may place it on the proper finger. Call me when they release you. I will pick you up and we can return to the swings and begin where we left off. There is a burner phone in the garment bag. It only has one preprogrammed number. Call me. Love, Kate"

By 6:15 Castle had showered, shaved, dressed and was pestering the nurse to get him released.  
No words were spoken or needed on the drive to the park. Hand-in-hand they walked to the swings, before she sat down she handled the ring back to Castle. Castle kneeled down and said "Where was I, yes I remember Katherine Houghton Beckett will you marry me?" No surprise this time, but a smile as bright as the sun radiates from Kate's face. "Yesterday I called you here to tell you that I'm not taking the job, the price was too high, and I'm sorry for hurting you. The thought of leaving made me realize that the 12th is my home and you have become a major part of my like. I too want more out of our relationship. I want you by my side forever. I love you Richard Alexander Rodgers, aka Richard Edgar Castle. Yes I will marry you." And the kiss became Legendary.


End file.
